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20140427005639I

Incident · Minor damage
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FAA incident report · Boeing 737-823 · Flushing, NY · April 27, 2014

FAA Aviation Safety Information Portal

© OpenStreetMap
Date
April 27, 2014 · 07:50 local
Place
Flushing, NY
Airport
La Guardia
Phase of flight
Takeoff: Climb Out
Operating rules
Air carrier (Part 121)
Operator
AALA
Damage
Minor damage
Aircraft
N815NN
Reported as
Boeing 737-823
Reported engine
CFM International CFM56-7B24/3
People aboard
0
Fatal injuries
0
Other injuries
0
N815NNRegistered now · Boeing 737-823S/N 33208 · Built 2009Airframe modelBoeing 737-823Engine modelCFM International CFM56-7B24/3 seriesTurbo-fan

From the FAA’s Accident/Incident Data System (AIDS), through its Aviation Safety Information Portal, as reported. The NTSB investigates accidents separately, and its record of an accident is the fuller one. The aircraft is matched to the registry by N-number and event date, checked against the reported make and model; the registry’s history has gaps, so older matches can be wrong. Compare the reported make and model.

What happened

The FAA’s narrative, in sentence case. The FAA writes it in capitals and removes private details.

American airlines (aa) flight 2279, a B737-823, registration number N815NN, was operating a revenue flight from NY, laguardia airport (lga) to FL, miami international airport (mia).

According to airport agency reports and aircraft maintenance records, the pilot reported that the right (#2) engine cowling unlatched during climb out. The aircraft returned and safely landed at lga on runway 31.

After landing the aircraft taxied to the gate uneventfully where the passengers disembarked the aircraft, once the subject aircraft was clear of runway 31, lga airport operations closed runway 31, until airport operations personnel conducted a sweep of the runway for debris caused by the unlatching of the #2 engine fan cowling. There were no reported injuries, or any property damage reported.

Upon landing it was discovered that the subject aircraft?s #2 engine fan cowls, became completely unlatched and were found partially dislodged and damaged. The bottom half of the #2 engine outboard fan cowl was torn in half and the debris from the outboard fan cowl impacted the right wing side of the aircraft, causing punctures and damage to the top of the right wing/center fuel tank , #5 leading edge slat, and # 7 spoiler. It appeared that there was no ingestion of any fan cowl debris into the #2 engine.

As the FAA filed it

AMERICAN AIRLINES (AA) FLIGHT 2279, A B737-823, REGISTRATION NUMBER N815NN, WAS OPERATING A REVENUE FLIGHT FROM NY, LAGUARDIA AIRPORT (LGA) TO FL, MIAMI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (MIA).

ACCORDING TO AIRPORT AGENCY REPORTS AND AIRCRAFT MAINTENANCE RECORDS, THE PILOT REPORTED THAT THE RIGHT (#2) ENGINE COWLING UNLATCHED DURING CLIMB OUT. THE AIRCRAFT RETURNED AND SAFELY LANDED AT LGA ON RUNWAY 31.

AFTER LANDING THE AIRCRAFT TAXIED TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY WHERE THE PASSENGERS DISEMBARKED THE AIRCRAFT, ONCE THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT WAS CLEAR OF RUNWAY 31, LGA AIRPORT OPERATIONS CLOSED RUNWAY 31, UNTIL AIRPORT OPERATIONS PERSONNEL CONDUCTED A SWEEP OF THE RUNWAY FOR DEBRIS CAUSED BY THE UNLATCHING OF THE #2 ENGINE FAN COWLING. THERE WERE NO REPORTED INJURIES, OR ANY PROPERTY DAMAGE REPORTED.

UPON LANDING IT WAS DISCOVERED THAT THE SUBJECT AIRCRAFT?S #2 ENGINE FAN COWLS, BECAME COMPLETELY UNLATCHED AND WERE FOUND PARTIALLY DISLODGED AND DAMAGED. THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE #2 ENGINE OUTBOARD FAN COWL WAS TORN IN HALF AND THE DEBRIS FROM THE OUTBOARD FAN COWL IMPACTED THE RIGHT WING SIDE OF THE AIRCRAFT, CAUSING PUNCTURES AND DAMAGE TO THE TOP OF THE RIGHT WING/CENTER FUEL TANK , #5 LEADING EDGE SLAT, AND # 7 SPOILER. IT APPEARED THAT THERE WAS NO INGESTION OF ANY FAN COWL DEBRIS INTO THE #2 ENGINE.